


The Final Chapter

by Kai517_TeenWriter



Series: The Final Chapter [1]
Category: The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman
Genre: Alternate B-395, Dragons, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Irene's Inner Voice is Seriously a Wet Blanket, KaIrene, Librarians, Libraries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-10-26 08:13:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17742233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kai517_TeenWriter/pseuds/Kai517_TeenWriter
Summary: "There comes a time when everyone must pick a side; even your precious Library, Irene. So you must decide now: just WHOSE side are you on?"-----When several factions of Fae and dragons decide to revolt against the peace treaty, the Library naturally turns to the representatives of the embassy that they created in hopes of straightening things out. The problem is, not everyone can remain neutral.





	The Final Chapter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MossyFlossy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossyFlossy/gifts).



> So many three-word, book-related titles I could've chosen from... Other contenders were "The Alternate Ending" and my personal favorite, "The Death Sentence."
> 
> Also, this takes place soon after "The Mortal Word" and will contain spoilers up until that installment of the series.
> 
> Dedicated to CharnaBelle, my fellow avid "Invisible Library" fan.  
> I hope you enjoy this; I sure as heck had fun writing it!

Irene shut the door behind her, slumping against it with a sigh of relief. She definitely hadn't imagined that this book heist-- or  _any_ book heist, really-- would result in a horde of people chasing her through the streets of London, yelling profanities among other things. Though, to be completely honest, she couldn't fault their taste: if she had been the book's original owner, she would have been beyond angry that someone had come and stolen it from her.

It wasn't every day that you came across an unpublished Sherlock Holmes prequel as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, after all.

Irene was glad-- and not for the first time-- that disguises existed, and trousers. She could run freely and was able to check over her shoulder as often as she wished because nobody would be able to recognize her under the mask and hat. Her hair was still short enough to hide underneath the hat completely, without any problem. She'd have to thank Kai later for that.

As for now, though, she was safe. She didn't have to worry much longer; she'd be dropping the disguise soon enough. Given the advantage of speed in this case, she had been able to duck into the flat without anyone's noticing, so that gave her an extra few minutes.

"Irene?"

Irene ignored Kai, shoving the book into his hands and dashing off to quickly change into her more everyday clothes. Now that she had acquired the book, it was essential that she got to the British Library-- or any library, for that matter-- and use the Traverse to reach the Library so that she could get the book into Coppelia's hands as fast as was humanly possible. No time to sit and chat with Kai.

Not right now, at least. Tonight seemed more promising.

Quickly, she tore off the trousers, though she would've enjoyed getting to stay in them longer, and her baggy shirt. Pulling on a dress, she studied herself in the looking-glass, attempting to see which adjustments needed to be made. Her hair was a bit on the wild side now that it was free of the hat, but other than that, everything else seemed to be fine. The mask had protected her face from getting marked up by dirt or dust, and she had made certain that her hands wouldn't get dirty, either. Besides, she'd be wearing gloves in a moment. Nobody would notice, even if she  _had_ marked up her hands and fingers.

Running a brush quickly through her hair, she checked the mirror once more and turned to leave the room. Immediately, she ran right into Kai.

"Irene, really," he began, "there's something that we should talk about."

"Not right now, Kai," she grumbled, taking the book from him, "I need to get to the Library so that it's out of this London."

"Irene!"

Kai was now following her back down the stairs, to the door. There was an urgency to his pace, one which was mirrored in his voice. But she had no time to waste, not even for him. She tucked the book under her arm when she reached the door, ready to open it. Before she could do anything, though, Kai grabbed her wrist.

When he spoke, his voice was firm and steely. "Irene. Listen to me. This  _is_ urgent... Possibly more urgent than getting that book to the Library. It's about the peace treaty."

That was enough to grab Irene's attention, but still... The longer she stayed in London with this book, the more danger she was putting herself-- and her friends-- in.

"I know it's important," she began in a gentle, soothing tone, "and I promise we'll talk about it later. Just give me an hour or so, okay?"

Kai looked ready to protest, but Irene shook her head firmly.

 **"I'll come back in an hour or so,"** she reiterated in the Language,  **"we'll talk then.** Okay?"

Kai sighed deeply, slumping back against the doorframe. "Fine."

Irene smiled gratefully, quickly pulling on her coat and boots, saving her gloves for last. Kai reached to open the door for her-- even though it was in the most begrudging of manners, Irene was glad that he could still be courteous-- but she stopped him, placing a hand on his chest.

"Hey.  **I love you."**

The corners of his mouth quirked up in a slight smile. He couldn't speak the Language, seeing as he wasn't a Librarian, but that didn't mean he couldn't understand what Irene was saying.

"I love you too, Irene. Stay safe for me, okay?"

She nodded, quickly standing on her tip-toes to press a quick kiss to his cheek. With that, she allowed Kai to open the door for her and was soon on her way.

* * *

The road to the British Library was fairly empty and quiet, and the inside of the library even more so. But Irene wasn't about to go around complaining; it was rather useful, actually.

 _Unless there's an enemy out there, planning an ambush,_ her inner voice prodded,  _lulling you into a false sense of security..._

But Irene decided it might be best if she shut the annoying voice down before it led to extreme, crippling paranoia.  _Nope. Not this time._

She made her way to the permanent Traverse, but found that it was in a construction zone. So  _now_ they decided to fix the damage from her first week in this London. Of course.

Luckily, though, it wasn't the only door in the entire library. Irene found another one rather quickly, in an unoccupied area. Nevertheless, she peered over both shoulders before leaning in and whispering,  **"Open to the Library."**

She could feel the bond forming, a gentle tug at the mark on her back. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Indeed, she was in the Library now, a room she didn't recognize.

The walls were, naturally, full of books. The remaining wall, the parts that weren't shelves, were painted a lilac shade of purple. Irene shuddered. Purple wasn't really her color. There was a computer engine on a table in the center of the room, with a dark purple beanbag chair sitting next to it. Some artwork was hung on the walls, portraits of people who Irene knew to be fictional.

Checking the sign on the wall, Irene sighed. She knew exactly where she was, despite having never been there before.  _A-517. 21st-Century Fanworks._

This was an odd collection that the Library had, in Irene's honest opinion. The Library collected  _important_ works, stories that were  _rare_ and  _meaningful_. And this section... Cheap knockoffs of some of the stories that Irene had grown up on, had been taught to acknowledge and love. Reading some of the titles, she frowned.  _Labyrinths of the Heart. Proven Useful. Mistletoe & Mixed Feelings. The Magic Within._ And on and on and on.

Irene sighed deeply, taking a seat on the beanbag chair and logging onto the computer, blatantly ignoring the intense stare she seemed to be receiving from the portraits.

No new e-mails. This was starting to get a little frustrating. But, on the bright side of things, her job seemed to be cut out for her. She quickly typed up an e-mail to Coppelia, detailing her acquisition of the book and hinting at Kai's remark about something possibly being amiss. Once she was finished, she sent it and pulled up a map of the Library.

Damn. She was a couple of hours away from the main Traverse... And it was under construction. Well, hopefully, if she took long enough, she could return to her London while the construction crew was on break.

One could only hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was honestly so much fun getting to write my very own room in the Library... Though I must clarify a few things first:
> 
> a. Irene and I do not share the same views on some things. I encourage fanworks (heck, that's what THIS is!!!) and I adore the color purple. What I write doesn't always have to stand for my beliefs, okay?  
> b. Yes, I might have brought up the names of a few of my favorite stories. All of said stories can be found here on Ao3, and I hope that nobody gets angry that I mentioned it or anything.  
> c. Following up on point b, these aren't ALL of my favorite fanfics. There are so many out there that I love... Yeah.  
> d. Chapter two will be up sometime or other; I can't guarantee when. But keep your eyes peeled. :)


End file.
